I unapolegetically love perfumey teas, and this dan cong is one of them. According to the Camellia Sinensis website, the leaves were frozen during processing. I’m not sure if this is the same production method as is used for Yunnan Sourcing’s Wudong Chou Shi Dan Cong, but both teas are very floral and aromatic.
I’m reviewing the 2016 harvest, which has stood up well to the year and a half I’ve owned it. I steeped 4 g of leaf in an 85 ml teapot at 195F for 15, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, and 240 seconds.
The aroma of the first steep jumps out of my teapot as soon as the water hits the leaves. I get notes of jasmine and other flowers, grapefruit, guava, mandarin oranges, and an undertone of squash and other vegetables. There’s a bit of astringency and the mouthfeel is oily. I can also see how people could describe this as soapy or perfumey. The second steep is more astringent as the leaves open up.
The heady floral and fruity aroma persists through the next few steeps. This teapot pours really slowly, so some steeps are more astringent than others. The jasmine and grapefruit flavours are the most prevalent throughout the session, which keeps going for an impressive twelve steeps without diminishing too much.
I wouldn’t want to drink this tea every day, but for those who love floral, perfumey dan congs, it’s an excellent option. It also has a surprising amount of caffeine.
Flavors: Astringent, Citrus, Floral, Gardenias, Grapefruit, Guava, Jasmine, Orange, Perfume, Vegetal
